Nozzle device for vacuum container

ABSTRACT

A nozzle device for a vacuum container is provided. The nozzle device has a molded and flexible seat member with a cover member attached. The center of the cover member has convex section which will become a concave one when the container is vacuumed. As such, a user could easily tell whether the container is vacuumed or not. Additionally, the container could be further equipped with a ventilated inner layer to facilitate the vacuuming of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to vacuum containers, and more particularly to a nozzle device for the vacuum containers.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Taiwan Patent Application No. 85215045 discloses an improved structure for a vacuum bag. The vacuum bag contains a bag member which is open at one side but sealed at all other sides. The bag member has a through hole at an appropriate location on the surface of the bag member. A clip member is configured close to the open side for closing the open side air-tightly. The through hole is configured with a nozzle device. The nozzle device has a bottom seat with a circular tubular section extended out through the through hole. The outside surface of the tubular section is threaded so that a top cover having a center hole matching the tubular section could be screwed tightly on the bottom seat. The top cover is connected with a cap for closing the tubular section of the bottom seat. Within the tubular section, the bottom seat has at least a through air hole so that air in the bag member could be vacuumed out through the air hole. A circular film element is positioned inside the tubular section. The film element has a circular ring with a flexible circular film in the center, leaving at least an opening between the circular ring and the film. The film is right on top of the air hole.

Taiwan Patent Application No. 81217008 discloses a vacuum container for preserving food freshness. The vacuum container has a cylindrical body member and a cover member for closing the body member into an airtight space. In the center of the cover member, there is a circular concave on the top surface. At the bottom of the circular concave, there is at least an air hole so that air in the body member could be pumped out. A circular film element is positioned inside the circular concave. The circular film element has a circular ring with a flexible film in the center. When a user places a pump in the circular concave and starts pumping, the pressure would lift the rim of the flexible film upward so that air in the body member could be vacuumed out. As the body member is vacuumed, another thin film is placed inside the circular concave and the atmospheric pressure pushes the circular film and thin film to close the air hole tightly and keep the body member vacuumed.

Taiwan Patent Application No. 9221096 discloses a vacuum bag having a nozzle device. A bottom seat of the nozzle device is configured inside the vacuum bag and has a joining section extending out of a through hole of the vacuum bag. In the center of the joining section, there is an air duct whose bottom has a number of air holes. The nozzle device also contains a plug element whose one end is a plug for the air duct, and whose the other end is a flexible piece for covering up the air duct. The flexible piece has a number of air holes near and surrounding the plug. When the bag is vacuumed, the plug element's flexible piece is sucked up to allow air from the bag to pass through the air duct and the air holes. After the bag is vacuumed, a cover member forces the flexible piece plug element to extend and close tightly on the air duct.

From the foregoing description, the nozzle devices disclosed in prior arts are complicated both in terms of structure and assembly. This is not only inconvenient to use, but also costly to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a nozzle device for a vacuum container. The nozzle device has a molded and flexible seat member with a cover member attached. The center of the cover member has a convex section which will become a concave one when the container is vacuumed. As such, a user could easily tell whether the container is vacuumed or not.

Additionally, as pointed objects are usually put inside a plastic bag first before being stored inside the container so that the container would not be punctured. However it is often found that the air in the plastic bag couldn't be vacuumed. The present invention provides a ventilated inner layer inside the container so that pointed objects could be placed directly inside the container without using a separate plastic bag and the container could be vacuumed completely.

The seat member of the nozzle device is a planar disc with a protruding tubular section in the center. The cover member is attached to the top rim of the tubular section. Inside the tubular section, there is an air duct whose top end has a slot opening on the end surface with two slope surfaces at the two sides of the slot opening. The air inside the container is vacuumed through the slot opening and, when the vacuuming stops, the atmospheric pressure would force the slot opening to close. Accordingly, the present invention achieves convenient vacuuming using only a very simple structure.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vacuum bag utilizing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the vacuum bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a nozzle device according to an embodiment of the present invention after vacuuming.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the nozzle device of FIG. 3 when vacuuming is conducted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the nozzle device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the planar disc of the nozzle device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the nozzle device of FIG. 3 before and after vacuuming is conducted.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the nozzle device of FIG. 3 when the cover member is open.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a pot utilizing an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a top view showing a vacuum bag utilizing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the vacuum bag of FIG. 10 after an object is stored inside and the vacuum bag is vacuumed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the nozzle device according to the present invention is configured at an appropriate location on a through hole of container 1. The nozzle device has a molded and flexible seat member 2. The seat member 2 is configured with a cover member 23 attached. In the center of the cover member 23, there is a convex section 231 which will become a concave one when the container 1 is vacuumed, as shown in FIG. 7. As such, a user could easily tell whether the container 1 is vacuumed or not.

Additionally, when the container 1 is used to hold pointed objects (such as tea leaves with stems, rice spikes, etc.), the objects are usually put inside a plastic bag first and then stored inside container 1 along with the plastic bag so that the container 1 would not be punctured. However it is often found that, in this case, the air in the plastic bag couldn't be vacuumed. To solve the problem, the present invention provides a ventilated inner layer 4 inside the container 1 so that pointed objects 3 could be placed directly inside the container 1 without using a separate plastic bag, as shown in FIG. 8. Due to the ventilation of the ventilated inner layer 4, the container 1 could be vacuumed completely. Please note that the ventilated inner layer 4 could be built inside the flexible container 1, or a bag made of similar material could be prepared separately.

As shown in FIGS. 3˜6, the seat member 2 of the nozzle device has a planar disc 21 with a protruding tubular section 22 in the center. The cover member 23 is attached to the top rim of the tubular section 22. Inside the tubular section 22, there is a tubular air duct 24 whose top end has a slot opening 26 on the end surface with two slope surfaces 25 at the two sides of the slot opening 26. The air inside the container 1 is vacuumed through the slot opening 26 and, when the vacuuming stops, the atmospheric pressure would force the slot opening 26 to close, as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the present invention achieves convenient vacuuming using only a very simple structure.

Please note that nozzle device of the present invention could be applied not only to a flexible bag, but also to containers made of a hard material, such as a bottle, a jar, or a pot (as shown in FIG. 9).

Please also note that the convex section 231 on the cover member 23 could be of any appropriate shape or form as long as it could give a visual clue to the user about whether the container 1 is vacuumed. Similarly, the ventilated inner layer 4 could form a bag of any appropriate shape or form inside the container 1.

FIGS. 1, 2, 10, and 11 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention applied to a flexible bag 1. The bag 1 has an open side and all other sides are sealed. At the open side, the bag 1 is extended with a flap section 11. The flap section 11 could be unfolded and opened so that objects could be placed into the bag 1. On the inner surfaces of the flap section 11, there are adhesive layers so that the flap section 11 could be sealed together air-tightly. Please note that, as shown in FIG. 10, the flap section 11 has a width H1 larger than the width H2 of the open side of the bag 1 so that two wings H3 are formed along the two sides of the bag 1. As shown in FIG. 11, pleats A could be configured on the wings H3 to guarantee the air-tightness of the flap section 11.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A nozzle device for a vacuum container comprising a molded and flexible seat member and a cover member attached to said seat member, wherein said seat member is configured on a through hole at an appropriate location on said vacuum container; and the center of said cover member has a convex section which becomes a concave one when said vacuum container is vacuumed through which a user could tell whether the vacuum container is vacuumed.
 2. The nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum container has a ventilated inner layer for facilitating the vacuuming of said vacuum container.
 3. The nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein said seat member is a planar disc with a protruding tubular section in the center; said cover member is attached to the top rim of said tubular section; a tubular air duct is configured inside said tubular section; the top end of said air duct has a slot opening on the end surface with two slope surfaces at the two sides of said slot opening.
 4. The nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein said vacuum container is made of a hard material and is one of the following objects: a bottle, a jar, and a pot.
 5. The nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein said convex section of said cover member is of an appropriate shape for providing visual clue about whether the vacuum container is vacuumed.
 6. A nozzle device according to claim 1, wherein said ventilated inner layer forms a bag of an appropriate shape inside said vacuum container. 